Dark Sunrise
by Elizabeth Watson
Summary: Sequel to Equinox. Four years after the battle in northern Canada, an old enemy gathers strength. As the world as they know it transforms around them, Renesmee and Jacob must learn quickly to balance the responsibilities of their quiet human life with the danger, complexities and intrigue of their immortal one.
1. Chapter 1

**Dark Sunrise**

By Midnight Sapphire Eyes and Elizabeth Watson

Author's Note (applying to all chapters): So…we kind of can't believe we're doing this. We had no intention of writing anything else after Equinox, but here we are. Some stories just insist on being told. Therefore, as before, our ideas and characters are our own. We respect that the rest belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

This story is the third in a trilogy. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you read the preceding stories, Solstice and Equinox.

"In the night we stumble over things and become acutely conscious of their separateness, but the day reveals the unity which embraces them." – Rabindranath Tagore

* * *

Chapter One

_It was a chilling kind of cold, like an early morning in winter. The sky was dark; I could still see some stars, but sunlight was just beginning to peer over the edge of the horizon. I couldn't see anyone, and yet I knew I wasn't alone. I turned slowly, my eyes sweeping the grey forest around me. I knew this feeling all too well. It was not the first time I had been chased like this. Every fibre of my body was alert, waiting for my pursuer to make the first move._

_ The wind shifted, and I caught scent of an immortal – no, two. Wait…three. I exhaled. "You can do this," I murmured to myself. I had to. I had to get home._

_ I took a breath and then started running. As soon as I did, I heard three sets of immortal footsteps hastening after me. I didn't look back. I couldn't afford to hesitate. I couldn't allow anything to distract me. I ran towards the sun, hoping that the instinctive vampiric aversion to sunlight would play to my advantage._

_ As I grew closer, so did the light. I frowned in confusion. That wasn't normal. As I drew closer, I realised it wasn't sunlight. It was fire. I slowed as I neared it and then came to a stop. My eyes widened as I realised that the fuel was not wood, but the body of an immortal, burning with all the violence of a venom fire. I knew that face. Why could I not remember the name?_

_ I was distracted as I heard the footsteps approaching again. Running was no longer an option. I turned to face my pursuers. Behind me, I heard the fire spreading and growing louder. I sank into a crouch and prepared to fight._

I started awake with a snarl.

My husband, who was halfway through climbing in the window, froze, looking at me in alarm. "Whoa, whoa!" Jacob said, holding his hands up. "It's just me. I'm sorry, I know I'm late, but holy gees, Ness."

I exhaled and rubbed my face. "Sorry. Dream."

He climbed the rest of the way through and then pulled off his shirt before moving onto the bed beside me. I was so shaken that I didn't even bother to give him grief for leaving his shirt on the floor. "Bad?"

I nodded without lifting my head. "Well…sort of."

He slid his arms around me. "Are you okay?" he asked gently, stroking my hair.

I leaned my head against his warm, chiselled chest and sighed. "Yeah. I am now."

He hugged me closer. "What was it about?"

I sighed quietly. "I was really strange. I was being chased."

"Like when Catherine was chasing you?"

The memory sent a shiver up my spine. I remembered all too clearly being chased through the forest near our old home in Vancouver by one of Emily and Tara's sisters, Catherine, who was intent on kidnapping me at the request of their psychopathic father, William Taylor. Four years had passed since then, but I doubted I would ever forget the terror of that night, even if four thousand years passed. "No. Tara called just after you left to update us. It's probably related to that." I lifted my head to look at him. "What about you?"

"Me?"

"How did it go with the newbies?"

"Well, Michael's still a bit of a spaz. I mean, the kid phases if someone snaps a twig behind him, but he'll get there."

I chuckled and nodded. "But there was nothing unusual?"

"No. At least, nothing like the Winters have been describing. Actually, we haven't even come across a nomad in two months." And ever since my family had first risen to notoriety in the immortal world for successfully repelling the Volturi not once, but twice, there had been a steadily increasing number of pilgrims from around the world to Forks and the surrounding area, primarily vampires who wanted us to instigate a coup and take power for ourselves. Of course, my family had relocated three times since we'd lived in Forks. Grandpa Carlisle said that it was the significance of the tiny, unassuming town more than us that drew the visitors.

Wishful thinking, in my opinion.

"How were the kids? Did they get off to sleep okay?"

I immediately glanced at the door, open ajar, and across the dark hallway to the room shared by our twin two-year-olds, Samuel and Hannah. "Pretty much the same as always." So in other words, a mission and a half. "She made this after dinner." I reached onto my nightstand and picked up a picture she'd drawn and passed it to him. It was a drawing – an unnaturally advanced drawing, but then what did one expect of a half human, quarter vampire, quarter sort-of-werewolf-but-technically-shape-shifter? – of Jacob's pack. He stood in the foreground, taller than the other wolves. Beneath her artistic rendering of her father was scrawled the word, "safe."

He smiled slowly. "Wow."

I smiled in reply and looked at the picture again. As sweet as it was, it tightened the progressively-growing knot of anxiety in my stomach. This part of the continent was constantly crawling with vampires these days, and while most of them were looking for my grandfather, (unsuccessfully) petitioning him to take control of the vampire world, not everyone was a friend. It was part of why the Winters and the rest of my family had had to separate. With the addition of Alex, Rob and Emily's adopted daughter, there were thirteen of them in total, and being together had risked bringing attention. The Winters had moved to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, while everyone else had taken up residence in Columbia Falls, Montana.

The rest of the vampire world, however, didn't seem to have gotten the memo. The notion of vampires I didn't know combing the woods where my children played made me intensely uncomfortable, even if there was a veritable werewolf army protecting them. After all, I was related through marriage and/or tied by friendship (at least on my part) to every single one of those werewolves.

As if all of that weren't enough, with my children's decidedly unorthodox heritage had come the mixed blessing of great intelligence. It hadn't taken them long to pick up on the virtually palpable tension around La Push, and in the voices of their parents. I could see the worry on their small, innocent faces, and in their beautiful brown eyes. It was that much worse when my parents came to visit. My father wasn't in the habit of masking his near-perpetual fussing. Mom often said that it was lucky that he was an immortal when he had children, or the experience would have undoubtedly turned him prematurely grey, if not sent him to an early grave altogether.

I exhaled. _You do not have to become your parents, Rensemee_, I told myself. _Just relax. Everything will sort itself out. It always does._

"Let's go see them," he said.

I glanced towards the door again. I sighed. "Okay, but if they wake up, it's your turn to put them to sleep."

He smiled. "Agreed."

We both rose. I followed him across the hall, mirroring his steps. He had every creaky floorboard memorised by season in the entire house from hundreds of late-nights stealing out to join his brothers on patrol. I, however, was still learning, even after nearly five years of marriage. He opened their door carefully and leaned against the frame. I slid my arms around his waist and leaned my forehead against his bare, warm chest. I studied our daughter for a moment. She lay on her side, her tiny hands curling and uncurling slowly as she dreamed. I glanced at our son next to see him lying on his back, his hands digging the air like a dreaming dog. I pressed a hand to my mouth to muffle my laughter.

"What?" he said, glancing at me.

I gestured to Sammy.

He glanced at him and then laughed suddenly.

I gasped, cringing, as I waited for them to wake up. I hit his chest.

"Sorry, sorry!" he whispered defensively.

I slowly opened my eyes, expecting to see them awake. To my relief and astonishment, neither of them as much as stirred. I exhaled and bowed my head. "Thank goodness," I whispered.

"That is so cute," he said. "But we can't ever let Rosalie see that. The jokes would go on forever."

"Agreed." To her credit, Aunt Rose had actually cooled it considerably on the dog jokes since Jacob and I had been married, and even more so since we'd had the twins.

"You know I'd never let anything happen to them, right?"

"I know," I said. I'd never doubted his ability to protect them. But _letting_ something happen to them wasn't what tempted me to give in to my inherent propensity to being apprehensive.

I glanced up at him as I felt him sway on his feet. The skin beneath his eyes was darkened with exhaustion. He'd been on patrol almost constantly since Rob had first called. He never complained, but anyone could see it was wearing him out. "Let's go to bed."

He nodded. "I'm just going to give them a kiss."

"Okay." I drew back and watched him kiss Hannah's forehead carefully, and then Sammy's. He stood there for a moment and then looked at me again.

"I'll be there in a minute," I said.

He nodded and then returned to our bedroom. I stood there for another few seconds, memorising them as small and peaceful and safe. In a world as crazy and tumultuous as mine, you never knew when you would need moments like this to drawn on.

I returned to my room after a moment and closed the door soundlessly behind me. Jacob was already stretched out on the bed. He glanced at me when I came in. I lay down beside him and then studied him.

He shifted closer to me and then touched my face. "You know I'd never let anything happen to you either," he said.

"Honey," I said quietly, smiling. "Get in line."

He chuckled quietly and then sobered. "I mean it though."

"I know. But let's not talk about that." I kissed him. "You're home. Finally. Granted it's…what, three in the morning?"

"Four thirty?" he said, grimacing.

"Oh. Great."

He smiled.

"For now, everything is…basically normal, which for us is pretty good."

He nodded, smiling.

"So let's not waste it worrying about what could or might happen," I said, though I was speaking to myself as much as I was to him.

"I love you," he said, studying me.

I kissed him. "I love you too."

He was asleep nine seconds later. As I lay there, waiting for sleep to find me, I found my mind wandering back to the dream. I kept returning to the strange light. Was it a light at the end of the tunnel, or an oncoming freight-train?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I spent a good part of the following morning cleaning and organizing the kitchen, though it was basically a useless effort. As soon as the pack showed up – which could be at any time – all of my work would go to waste. But such was the price I paid for being the wife of a chief.

Besides, I really couldn't complain. The current kitchen was a vast improvement on what it had been when we'd moved in. It had been serviceable for Billy and Jake, but it was nothing short of sheer insanity to try and feed an ever-growing pack of mostly-teenaged wolves in so tiny an area. We'd put an extension on the house two years ago to make room for the twins, and I'd rolled a kitchen renovation in as well. Having been pregnant and intensely hormonally-charged at the time, no one had been brave enough to object, let alone try to stop me.

I heard Billy rolling down the hallway. I smiled as he appeared. "Hey, Billy."

"Good morning, Ness."

"Are you ready for your coffee?"

"Do I get sugar?"

I gave him a look.

"It was worth a try."

I smiled and shook my head as I fixed his coffee, adding a touch of artificial sweetener instead.

"Where's Jake?" he asked.

"Still sleeping. He was out pretty late with the newbies last night." I passed him his steaming mug and the morning paper. "Do you want oatmeal or something more interesting this morning?" I asked.

"Whatever is easiest. You're spoiling me."

I smiled. "You could use some spoiling." After I made his eggs, I sat down across from him with my coffee. "Anything interesting?" I asked, sipping as I glanced at the paper in his hands.

"Not really. More campaign drama."

"Of course."

"What are your plans for today?"

I sighed and considered that. There was so much that needed doing. The problem was prioritizing. "There're a few things around here, I still have to go by Rona's and fix her chair, and then I've got to go into town and get supplies for this weekend."

"Ah yes. How's Ben doing?"

"Still freaked," I admitted. "You know him. He's such a quiet, simple-natured kid. He's still not doing as well as Jacob hoped he would, but he is the newest. He just needs some time, I think." Jacob planned to take him on a camping trip the following Saturday to try and ease him into the idea of pack life. I'd been talking to his mother, trying to explain the situation to her. Jacob and I had both agreed after the tragedy in northern Canada that the families had a right to know what they were risking, and talking to the families had become my contribution. If they knew the stakes, we could defend them better. "But Jake's good. He'll help him grow into it, he always does. The kid's got to start accepting this sooner or later."

Billy nodded thoughtfully. "How's Laura?"

"I wouldn't say she's thrilled, but…I mean, after everything that happened up north, I don't blame her. Still, she's more ready for this than he is, I think." I admired her for keeping her misgivings to herself instead of further burdening her son.

He smiled and nodded. "Sounds like her. I'm glad you're helping her."

I smiled slightly. "It feels good to be useful." For the first six months after Jacob and I had moved to La Push, people had avoided me like the plague. Few people said anything, but I knew the community blamed me for what had happened in Nahanni Butte. For a while, I'd wondered if they were right.

"Anyway," I said. "What about you? Do you need a ride anywhere today?"

"I was thinking about giving your grandpa a call, see if he'd be interested in a fishing trip."

I snorted. "You know you don't have to ask."

He smiled. "Yeah."

"Well, how about I make lunch for you two?"

"That's alright, we can pick something up."

"Not a chance," I said, giving him a look. "I know what you eat when you're left to your own devices, and I seem to be the only one that cares about your hearts."

He sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

As I rose and poured him an orange juice, I heard Rachel's car pull up outside of the house. "She's here," I said, setting the juice in front of him. I made my way to the door and opened it to see my sister-in-law walking up the ramp to the door, carrying her three-year-old daughter in her arms.

I smiled. "Hey."

Rachel returned my smile. "Hey, Nessie."

I took a moment to savour how easily we could exchange greetings now. Rachel was the second of Jacob's two older sisters. Her husband, Paul, had been part of Jacob's pack, until he'd been killed at Nahanni Butte. Paula had never even had a chance to meet him. And, as a result, my sister-in-law had been among those that held me responsible. Our relationship was not easy, but it was steadily beginning to improve. It had begun with these weekend visits with Paula. Billy had urged her to move in with us after Paul's death and Paula's birth, but she refused to be near me. But four months ago, she had started coming every Saturday with Paula so that Billy could spend time with his granddaughter. Recently she had started leaving her with us on weekdays as well when she needed to go into town.

"How was your week?" I asked.

"It was alright. Busy. The computer's down at the store, so I've been doing everything by hand. Takes forever."

I smiled sympathetically. "Well, come in. Have you two eaten yet?"

"She has, I haven't."

"I can have an omelette ready in five minutes."

"Sounds perfect. Thanks."

I smiled and nodded again and then looked at my niece. "Hey, sweetie," I said, beaming at Paula.

She grinned in reply. "Hi, Aunt Ness-Ness!" she cried.

I smiled at her name for me. "I swear, you get bigger every time I see you!" I exclaimed, tickling her chin.

"She's definitely getting big," Rachel agreed.

"Well, let's go inside so you can see Grandpa," I said, smoothing Paula's thick black hair.

Rachel sighed as her phone began to ring. "Can you take her for a moment?"

"Of course." I took Paula from her and kissed her forehead. I smiled at her and then carried her to Billy.

He beamed as soon as he saw her. "Hey, gorgeous girl!"

She returned his smile and began to bounce in my arms. "Grandpa! Grandpa!" she shrieked.

I smiled and passed her to Billy before starting on yet another pile of omelettes and bacon.

Rachel leaned against the counter beside me and watched her father and daughter together. "Where's Jake?" she asked me.

"Still asleep. He was out late last night," I said.

She looked at me sharply. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no," I reassured her. "Everything's fine." I didn't mention Tara's call, and for a moment I debated filling her in, but I elected to wait. Better to have some real news before I concerned her with it. Her husband may not have been on the front lines anymore, but I knew that she worried about her younger brother just as much. Any time I even made passing mention of anything that she might interpret as amiss, she feared the worst – another consequence of the tragedy in Nahanni Butte.

She nodded. "How is he?"

"Exhausted. He's been working hard."

"He's always working hard."

"That is true."

"And what about you?"

"I'm keeping pretty busy too."

She smiled. "No, I mean, how are you?"

"Oh. I'm…I'm okay. Just busy."

"How's your family?"

"They're good. They're in Ireland right now, visiting some of Emily and Rob's old friends."

She paused. "Emily's the one that…she's the daughter of…"

"One of them, yeah," I said, clearing my throat. "She's the oldest. She's the oldest of us all, actually."

"She sends Emily Uley and me flowers every month."

I blinked and looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

She nodded. "The card's never signed, but Emily asked your mom if she knew where they came from, and she told her."

"I didn't know that."

She shrugged. "I guess she didn't want us to know."

I glanced at the clock. It was getting late, and the pack would be here soon. I made up a plate for Jacob and then made my way to our bedroom. I nudged the door open and set the tray on the dresser before looking at him. He lay on his side, his thickly-muscled arm hanging off of the bed. I sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed his back. "Jake?"

As I had expected, this merited no response.

"Jacob," I said, shaking him. "Jake. Wake up."

He began to stir. He sighed and then slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at me and then rolled onto his back, running his fingers through his hair. "Hey, hon."

"Hey," I said. "I let you sleep in. It's 9:30."

"Thanks," he said.

"I made your breakfast," I said, rising to bring him the tray.

"Wow. Thanks, Ness." He sat up and took the tray. "Do I hear Rachel?"

"Yeah. She and Paula got here a few minutes ago." I studied him. "Do you need anything else? I was just about to go check on the kids."

"No, I'm good."

"Alright." I leaned over the tray to kiss him.

I rose and made my way into the twins' room. As with every morning, I could see that they'd grown again. They were big, courtesy of the Black gene, and growing fast, courtesy of the Cullen vampire gene. They could easily have passed for four year olds. That had worried me to no end at first, but Emily and Rebecca, her half-sister, both assured me that that was normal for mixed-breed children. The intricacies – and dangers – of our world never ceased to amaze me, but I took comfort in the thought that my kids were probably the closest thing possible to being indestructible.

It had shed so much more light on my understanding of my own childhood. As a child, I'd never been able to understand why people were so fussy about my accelerated growth. It had hardly remarkable to me.

Sammy was still fast asleep, but Hannah was already stirring. I smiled and made my way to her first. I stroked her silky black hair. "Good morning, sweetie," I said.

She blinked her eyes and smiled. I picked her up and kissed her forehead, hugging her. "Mama," she cooed.

"How is my favourite daughter in the world today?"

"Good!" she exclaimed.

I grinned. "I'm glad. Let's get you dressed, and then we'll go see Daddy."

She looked at her brother. "Sammy?"

"We'll let him sleep a little longer," I said. I moved to stand over my son's bed and studied his beautiful little face. Jacob had named him for Sam Uley, Jacob's close friend, and former Alpha. He'd been another casualty at Nahanni Butte. I could already see Jake and my father in him – a combination that thoroughly amused everyone, but especially my mother and me. I smoothed his tousled hair and then got my daughter dressed and her stubborn hair combed.

I made my way into the bedroom where Jacob was eating his eggs. He beamed as soon as he saw Hannah. "Hey, honey."

She smiled. "Daddy!"

He set his plate and took her with a broad smile. He kissed her forehead. "How's my girl?"

"Very good!" she said happily. She grinned and then tugged on his hair.

"Hey!" he chuckled, tugging on hers.

She laughed with delight.

He laughed with her. "You're the prettiest, you know that?" He glanced at me. "Just like your mom."

I smiled.

She tugged on his ear. "Let's play, Daddy!"

He laughed again. "Let Daddy eat breakfast first, okay princess?"

"I'll bring her something to eat," I said, hoping that I'd get to the omelettes before the pack did.

"Okay. Where's Sammy?"

"Still asleep. I'm going to get him up in a minute."

"Alright."

I returned to the kitchen to find Billy and Paula playing while Rachel looked on with a fond smile. I dished up some food for the children and then returned to the nursery to wake my son. I stroked his hair and his little round cheek. "Good morning," I said.

He opened his eyes slowly.

I picked him up and kissed his forehead, stroking his face. "How's my angel?"

He blinked sleepily and laid his head against my neck. I smiled and rubbed his back. "Time to wake up, sweetie. We're going to get you dressed, and then you can go eat with your daddy and your sister, okay?"

"Hannah?" he asked, lifting his head and blinking.

"She's with Daddy, sweetheart. You can go see them in a minute." I chose his clothes from the ridiculously massive store of clothes that Emily and my aunts had bought for the twins and then got him dressed before carrying him back to my room. I found Jacob and Hannah laughing together as they played with strips of bacon. Jacob's orange juice was already spilled all over the hardwood floor. They both stopped as soon as they saw me.

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Jacob cleared his throat. "I was just telling Hannah here that you should never play with your food. Wasn't I, sweetie?"

"No!" she said, laughing.

He gave her a look and then shot a quick glance at me, laughing nervously. "These kids, right?"

I gave him a purposeful look. "Yeah. Kids."

He laughed awkwardly and then looked at our son. "Hey, bud!" he said, smiling broadly.

Sammy beamed. "Daddy!" He held his arms out to him.

I passed him to Jacob and smiled as Jacob kissed him. I glanced at the juice on the floor again and then sighed. "I'll bring you a cloth."

He gave an awkward, apologetic smile. "Fair enough."

"And then I'm bringing their food in, and I want them to eat it, not play with it."

"Got it."

I brought Jacob a cloth and food for the twins and then returned to the kitchen to find Rachel watching dishes.

"Thanks," I said, surprised but pleased.

"No problem," she said, glancing at me and smiling. I began to reach for a towel, but she stopped me. "You do enough work around here."

"I don't mind," I said. It had been quite an adjustment – going from doing nothing to basically everything, but I'd come to enjoy it. I was so much more useful this way then I'd ever been with my family. They were always hovering, never letting me lift a finger. What I did made a difference now, whether it was a folded pile of clean laundry or a family that was even just a little bit more reconciled to what their children had become.

Jacob made his way out to the living room, the children clinging to his shoulders and giggling as he pretended to be a bear looking for them.

"Good morning, son," Billy said.

"'Morning, Dad. Hey, Rach."

"Hey, Jake," Rachel said.

"Hi, Uncle Jake," said Paula, waving at him.

"Wow," he said, grinning. "A full sentence!"

"She's getting pretty good," Rachel said, looking at her proudly.

I smiled. I was about to return to my cooking when I heard the pack approaching. I glanced towards the door as it was thrown open.

"Gooood morning, people," said Embry brightly.

"Emmy!" the twins cried in unison.

Everyone else laughed.

"No, no, it's _Embry_," he said. "Em_br_y, guys."

"Emmy!" Hannah said brightly.

He sighed and looked at Jacob. "Old man, teach your children to pronounce."

"Old man?" Jacob said, frowning.

"Yeah, old man?" Billy said. "What am I?"

"You're cool, Billy. You're not housetrained, like this guy," he said, punching Jacob's shoulder and narrowly missing Sammy's hand.

I was about to react when Jacob did. "Hey, watch it, punk," Jacob said, sheltering his hand.

"Please. Would I harm this crazy puppy?" he said. "Come here, Samster!"

I closed my eyes and sighed. Apparently a hatred for stupid nicknames for my children was another trait I had inherited from my mother. Mine had stuck. I didn't mind that, but I was determined not to let this one stick.

"You know it's starting to grow on you, Ness," Embry grinned as he took Sammy from Jacob.

"You're right, it is," I said. "It's growing more irritating."

He chuckled.

"'Morning, ma'am, 'morning, Nessie," Quil said, nodding to me as the others filed in.

"Hilarious," Jacob said sarcastically as Quil grinned. "No, really, I think it gets funnier every morning."

Jared and Collin, two of the other remaining "veterans", as they had taken to calling themselves, filed in next, followed by Rory, Joey, Jamie, Matthew, Tommy, Peter, Kevin and then the newbies, Luke, Michael, Raphaela, Tanner, Naomi, Reese and finally Leah. I offered her a smile. She managed a small smile in reply. She had never quite forgiven me for what had happened at Nahanni Butte. Not only had she lost Sam, but her younger brother, Seth. It wasn't fair, but then his death wasn't either. In my experience, fair rarely ever factored into the equation.

After everyone had said their greetings, they all looked to Jacob. The light, casual atmosphere was transformed into business mode as everyone looked to Jacob.

"Take a seat, people," he said, shifting Hannah in his arms. I glanced at Rachel and Billy. Rachel quickly gathered up her things and left the house. Ever since she'd lost Paul, she tried not to get involved in pack business. Billy, however, had become even more deeply engrossed since we'd moved in with him.

"Ness, can you start by telling us what Tara said when she called?" he said.

I nodded as they all looked to me. "There was another disappearance earlier this week."

"When?" Quil asked.

"Tuesday," I said. "They found him dead."

"Where?"

"Near Chilliwack."

"A vamp got wacked in Chilliwack," Luke muttered, chuckling.

Everyone looked at him.

"No. Just no, Luke," Jared said.

"Not funny," Naomi added, shaking her head.

"_Anyway_," Jacob said. "He was a personal friend of the Winters'."

"My heart bleeds for them, truly," Reese muttered.

Jacob shot him a glare. "Okay, Reese. Why don't you give us your insight on the situation?"

He held his hands up defensively. "I'm cool."

"Yeah? Then shut your mouth. Understood?"

He sighed, his brow furrowing.

"That's closer to the American border than I'd like, so I want you all focused. This isn't just a job, or a cool way to hang out or something we do on evenings and weekends. This is our life. We do this to protect people from a world that they can't protect themselves from. This is a responsibility that has fallen to the people of our tribe since the time of our ancestors. So let's do it well."

"That means no more chasing deer, _Jenna_," Tanner, her younger brother taunted. She hit him.

"Hey!" he snarled, rising.

"_Sit down_," Jacob boomed.

Everyone sobered immediately. Tanner and Jenna immediately froze and dropped back into their seats. Even Hannah looked at him in surprise.

"This is not a _joke_, do you understand? Whatever is going on here, it's happening close to us, yet again. Whatever you may feel about vampires, we are connected with them, whether you like it or not. So vampires disappearing in Canada aren't irrelevant to us, and it's certainly not _funny_. Do you think it's easy to kidnap a vampire? Because it's not. It's not even easy to kidnap a half-vampire," he said, glancing at me.

Memories of Catherine chasing me rushed back unbidden, followed closely by memories of my strange dream. I lowered my eyes, suppressing a shudder.

"If they're getting cocky enough to go after the Winters' allies, what do you think that means? Hmm? Reese?"

Reese blinked in confusion.

"It means that they're not afraid of them, and if they're not afraid of them, they're not afraid of the Cullens, and if they're not afraid of the Cullens, they're not afraid of us, and in this world, what doesn't fear you will probably try to kill you. Whatever this is, it's escalating. The Winters are vamps, yes. So are the Cullens. But they've reached out to us. They give us information that helps us protect our people and get home to our families afterwards. So I want less mouthing off and more pride-swallowing, is that clear?" He paused for a moment, glaring each of them down. "You need to pay special attention, because this could get out of control _very_ quickly, faster than most of you can possibly understand. I want you all to remember that fooling around gets people killed, and it won't always be another vampire, or someone you don't know. It could just as easily be someone from your own family. It could be one of your own brothers or sisters. It could even be you."

I shot a furtive glance at Leah, as did most of the pack. She was staring out the window, her jaw set. I didn't have to share the pack's group telepathy to know how much she still ached for Seth. Not even Jeff, her imprint and boyfriend of four years, had been able to completely assuage that pain, though he tried. She was highly respected among the pack for her experience, and for everything she'd suffered. Her brother's death wasn't the first blow this life had dealt her. It had also stolen Sam, the man she'd loved, when he'd imprinted on her cousin, Emily.

"What're our orders, then, chief?" Embry asked.

"I want a perimeter, not just the usual border runs. I'm talking about constant coverage. We'll organise it in rotations, but I want every corner watched, and not just of La Push, but Forks too. With all the vamps tracking through here over the past years, we're lucky they've only killed one human."

"That we know of," Leah added.

"Right," Jacob said. "Let's keep it to one."

Everyone nodded.

"Good. I think that's about it."

"Now, the most important question of all," Collin said. He looked at me. "Is there food?"

I chuckled. "Isn't there always?"

"Jake, I'm in love with your wife," Collin said.

Jacob and I both chuckled. "Too bad for you, sucker," he said.

I got the rest of the omelettes and piles of bacon out of the fridge and watched it disappear. I glanced at the time as they ate, and then looked at Jacob, who was talking with his lieutenants, Quil, Embry and Leah, at the side of the room. Embry was still holding Sammy, who was getting fussy as he got hungry. It was one of the many ways in which he was just like his father.

I made my way over to them, and slid my arm around Jacob's waist. He looked at me and smiled and then looked at Leah again.

"…and Luke's still not ready to do a patrol on his own yet," she was saying.

"We'll work it out," Embry said, glancing at me.

"We could send Darren with him," Quil said. "Oh, hi, Ness. We're just talking about who to pair up. You know, the buddy system and all of that."

"Of course," I said, and then glanced at Hannah and smiled as she suddenly grabbed a handful of my hair. She giggled.

"Okay, that sounds good," he said. "Just make sure someone keeps an eye on Tanner. He still doesn't quite get it."

"Agreed," Quil said.

"Mommy," Sammy said, frowning and twisting in Embry's arms. He looked at him and sighed in irritation.

"Okay, okay," Embry said, passing him to me. "Gees, little dude."

I stroked Sammy's hair. "Are you getting hungry again, little man?"

He nodded.

"I'll get you something to eat in just a minute, okay?" I looked at Jacob. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

He nodded. "Sure." He followed me to our bedroom. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine. I'm going to head over to Rona's now. Can you salvage something for him to eat from what's left?" I said, rubbing Sammy's back.

"Of course," he said. "Come here, Samst–"

"_No_," I said immediately. "Never that name."

"I know, I know. Sorry."

"I'm serious, Jacob," I said. "We are not calling him…that."

"Okay," he said.

"Ever."

"I get it, Nessie," he said, chuckling.

"Good." I looked at Sammy and kissed his hair. "Go see Daddy, bud."

Sammy made an irritated noise and began to squirm again.

"Alright, alight, food coming up," Jacob said. He looked at me again. "When do you think you'll be back?"

"Well, by the time I swing by Rona's and get your supplies for the weekend…maybe around two?"

"Okay. I'll clean this up and throw something together for lunch."

"Perfect. I'll see you in a bit," I said, stretching up to kiss him and then each of the twins. "Bye, sweethearts. I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

"Okay," Hannah said.

I smiled at Jacob and then grabbed my purse before heading for the door.

"Where're you going?" Luke asked through a mouthful of bacon as I headed for the door.

"Your mom's," I said over my shoulder.

"Ha! Funny."

"Not a joke," I said. "See you later, guys."

"See ya, Ness! Thanks for the food!" Quil called.

"My pleasure," I said, smiling, and then closing the door behind me and got my third baby out of the garage. I slid behind the wheel of my Maserati and pulled out onto the quiet road.

I never made it to Rona's.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

I was passing the store where Rachel worked when my phone rang suddenly. I reached for my purse on the passenger seat only to notice that it had fallen onto the floor. I sighed in irritation and leaned over to pick it up quickly.

After several moments of blindly fishing around through soothers, small toys and fruit snacks, I found my phone in the very bottom of my purse. I read Emily Winter's name on the call display and smiled. It had been a week since I'd spoken to her, which was exceptionally long for her. "Hi, Em."

"Nessie, dear, how are you?"

I smiled again. Try though she did to master North American English, she could never quite shake the century she'd spent in England. "I'm great. How're all of you? How's Alex?" She was one of the happier results of our victory against Emily's father, William. The daughter of Emily's late half-sister Anya and her half-breed mate, Alexandria (or Cali, as she had originally been called) wasn't only the world's only second-generation half-breed – and, in theory, the last, since the Volturi had banned the creation of half-breeds following the battle – but she was also a lot of fun. I always looked forward to seeing her during their visits, though it required a certain amount of guardedness. Emily and her husband Rob had never given her the full story of how she came to be a part of our family. It was a mistake, in my opinion, but no amount of persuading would change their minds.

"She's very well. And your little ones? How are they?"

"They're great."

"Good! Listen, I was hoping we could talk. Do you have some time free at the moment?"

"Um…yeah, sure."

"I'm calling in regards to my sister. Have you heard from her lately?"

"Yeah, Tara called last night."

"No, the other one."

"Oh. Yeah, I called her last week."

She paused. "Really?" She inexplicably sounded offended. "And she answered your call?"

"Yes…?"

"What about?"

"Grandpa Billy was over. He saw Sammy sneeze a few times and insisted that I call someone."

"Why not me?"

I frowned. I couldn't understand why she sounded so offended. "Because you weren't answering your phone. Emily, what's going on? Really? What am I missing?"

"Did she tell you where she is?"

"No. Why?"

She sighed. "I'm a little worried, to tell you the truth."

That hardly surprised me. It was one of the many reasons that the Winters fit in so well with my family.

"I don't suppose you know where they are?"

"No, I don't," I admitted. "Why are you worried? What's wrong?"

"Neither of them has been answering our calls or emails, and I just spoke to a close friend of Ajay's, Siddharth. He said they're not at home and that they haven't been seen for almost a week. If he doesn't know where they are, I can't imagine anyone does."

I slowed the car to a stop and moved off the road, frowning. "What does this mean? Do you think…?"

"I don't know. I'm trying not to go there."

Rebecca and Ajay had been in hiding for the past year after Rob had heard from one of his sources in Italy that her tool of a half-brother, Will, her only surviving sibling of the battle against her family (aside from Emily and Tara, of course), sought to kill her for what he interpreted as betraying their family. So the secretiveness wasn't a new thing, but this was extreme, even for them.

"But what will he do?" I asked quietly, though I wasn't sure that I really wanted to know.

"I'm not sure. Look, could you call her again? Could you just ask her if she's safe? Rob, Ian, Tara and I can go and meet them if they need help."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

I ended the call and then sat there for a moment. What if what was happening in Canada had reached them?

I shuddered at the thought and quickly dialled Rebecca's number. I couldn't help but count the rings as I waited for her to answer. _One. Two. Three. Four. Five._ Two more and I would reach her voicemail. _Six_. It was halfway through ringing for the seventh time when she picked up.

"Hello?" Rebecca said quietly.

"Rebecca?" I said.

"Renesmee?"

"Hi. Is everything alright?"

She paused. "Emily called you." Some tenseness leaked into her tone now.

"Yes. Is everything okay?"

She hesitated. "I don't know."

"Where are you?"

She hesitated. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you."

My frown deepened. "Why? What's going on?"

"Ask Emily."

"What?"

"Nessie, I have to go."

"No, wait! Are you safe?"

"I don't know. Maybe for now. I don't know anything anymore. Nessie, please, I really must go."

"Just give me a clue. Emily said that they can help you."

"No!" she exclaimed, and then lowered her voice quickly. "No. They can't come here. They can't come anywhere near us."

I frowned, surprised and confused in equal measure. "What? Why not?"

"Tell her not to leave us alone. Tell her to stay away," she said, and then ended the call.

I frowned and glanced at my phone. I set it on the seat beside me and then sat there for a moment, mulling over her words.

I picked up my phone again and was about to dial Emily's number when she appeared on my call display again. I answered the call. "Emily?"

"Did you reach her?"

"Yeah. She…she said to leave them alone."

"She said what?"

"Did you guys have an argument?"

"No! Why does everyone always assume I've gotten into an argument?"

I gracefully decided not to answer that question. "She wouldn't tell me where she was, and when I asked her what was going on, she said that I should ask you. She wasn't herself at all. Is something happening that I should know about?"

"No. I really can't imagine what she means."

"Emily?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I don't understand."

That made two of us. "Do you think Will could be threatening them?"

"We already know that," she pointed out.

"But do you think he could be keeping them there by force?"

"I can't imagine Ajay allowing that."

"Me neither. So what now?"

"I'm not sure. I'm going to speak to the others."

"Really?" I said, my surprise leaking into my tone.

"Yes. Don't think I didn't notice that tone."

I smiled slightly. "Let me know if anything changes."

"I will. Stay safe."

"You too." I ended the call, and then sat there for a moment, my mind racing.

Concerned and preoccupied, I pulled back onto the road after a moment and kept driving. I was almost in Ocean Shores before I realised that I'd overshot. I turned around and drove back to Forks to pick up the supplies Jacob needed before returning home.

I found Billy, Paula and the twins sitting on the couch watching TV. Jacob sat at the kitchen table with a map in front of him. I hesitated on the step and studied my family for a moment. I felt a stab of anxiety. It seemed that with each new threat, there was more and more at stake. For a moment, I was overwhelmed with despair at how easily – and how frequently – our lives were disrupted by the madness of our world. I was denied a normal (well, at least relatively normal) childhood because of the Volturi, but I was determined that that wouldn't be the reality for my children.

I opened the door, my arms laden with bags of groceries and camping gear. "Hi, guys."

Everyone glanced at me. Jacob rose, taking the bags from me. "Hey. Where've you been?"

"What?"

"It's almost six."

I glanced at the clock in surprise. "Oh."

"Rona called. She said you never showed." He studied my eyes carefully. "Are you okay? Do we need to talk?" he asked, lowering his voice.

I nodded. "Let's talk after dinner."

"Don't worry about dinner, Ness, I ordered in," Billy said, smiling.

"Okay," I said, still too preoccupied to scold him about his heart.

Jacob and I put away the groceries and supplies and then made our way to our room. He closed the door and then waited for me to begin.

I sighed and sat down on the bed. "I got a call from Emily just after I left. She hadn't heard from Rebecca in days, and neither she nor Ajay were returning any of their calls or emails. So she was understandably getting a little worried."

Jacob frowned. "No kidding."

"So I called her, and she was…really weird. She wouldn't tell me where she was, and when I asked her what was going on, she told me to ask Emily, and kept insisting that the Winters leave them alone, and then she hung up."

"And what did Em say?"

"She said she knew nothing about it."

"Of course she did."

"No, I don't think she was lying this time, Jake." I frowned. "I think something might really be wrong."

He sighed and thought for a moment. "Something's definitely getting closer. I can feel it every time I phase."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "I don't like this helpless thing."

"Tell me about it," he sat, sitting down beside me.

I studied him for a moment. He looked so exhausted. The circles beneath his bloodshot eyes were constantly growing, and his shoulders were stiff. "Jake, you need to rest," I said gently. "I have enough to worry about when you're out there at one hundred percent. Couldn't you ask someone else to run patrol tonight?"

He looked at me. "I don't get a day off, Ness. None of us do. I don't have Sam to share the load with anymore."

I lowered my eyes and pursed my lips.

"And that's not your fault," he said, laying his huge, warm hand over mine. "But that's just how it is. This situation gets weirder every day. We'll soon have to be doing more patrols, not less."

I closed my eyes for a moment and sighed, rubbing my forehead.

"I know this isn't easy for you either," he said gently, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. "But this is what we have to deal with, at least for now."

I looked at him again after a moment. "Jacob Black, if you get yourself killed, so help me, I will murder you."

He chuckled and slid his long, strong arm around me, hugging me against his side. I laid my head in the crook of his warm neck and closed my eyes, praying that our luck would hold.

* * *

"Can you tell a story, Grandpa?" Sammy asked as we tucked the children into their beds that night. Jacob had left shortly after dinner to check on the perimeter.

"A story? Sure. What kind of story?"

"Can you tell us a story about the old people?"

"Yeah, the old people!" Hannah put in enthusiastically. "Haha Icky and the other one with an E!"

He chuckled. "Do you mean Taha Aki and Ephraim Black, your ancestors?" Billy asked.

"Yeah!" they said in unison.

"Alright. But listen quietly."

I had heard these stories dozens of times, as had they, but they never got old, not when Billy told them. He was a masterful storyteller. These were not just stories to him; they were the sacred history of the tribe and its solitary stand against the evil of the vampires, and his pride and conviction would sparkle in his deep, dark eyes. I hoped that Jacob would be able to tell them just as well someday.

As he told his story, they both looked at me several times. It was an interesting dichotomy, to be sure, and I didn't envy them. To be descended from races of both defenders and defilers of human life must have been confusing. And really, I didn't know how to help them reconcile it. There were no advice books on how to teach your children to accept being both vampire and werewolf.

"Grandpa?" Hannah said after he'd finished.

"Hmm?" Billy said.

"Does that mean I'll be a wolf someday?"

He smiled. "Maybe. We'll see. Not all of us turn into wolves."

"If I turn into a wolf, will I have to kill Mommy?" Sammy asked quietly, his tiny, sweet face filled with concern.

Billy and I looked at him in surprise and then at each other.

"Or Grandpa and Grandma Cullen?" he added.

"No," Billy said. "Because your mother and her family are good people. They don't kill humans. They only hunt animals for blood. The wolves only hunt vampires that hunt and kill humans."

They both relaxed visibly. "Good," Sammy said.

I smiled. "Okay, time to go to sleep," I said, pulling the blankets up around him.

"Where's Daddy?" he asked.

"Daddy's out with the wolves. He'll be home by the time you wake up." I smoothed his tousled black hair and kissed his forehead. "I love you, Sammy."

"I love you too," he said, and then yawned and closed his eyes.

I crossed the room to Hannah's bed next and stroked her little round cheek. "Sleep well, my darling," I said gently, kissing her. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mommy." She hugged my neck.

I smoothed her blankets, and then moved out of the room so Billy would have room to wheel himself around to say goodnight.

After he'd said his goodnights, we made our way back to the living room. "Do you want some tea?" I asked.

"Sure," he said.

After I'd made a pot, I sat down across from him at the table. I felt him watching me, waiting for me to explain what he had probably already guessed.

"So," he said finally.

I looked at him.

"What is it? You've been extra stressed ever since you got back. "

I paused for a moment, trying to decide how to begin. "Do you remember Rebecca? Emily's sister? She's married to a vampire, Ajay?"

"Yes," he said. "The one that's being hunted by her brother, I think you said."

"Yes, exactly. Well, she's not speaking to Emily or Rob or any of them. She wouldn't even tell me where she was. She told us to leave her alone. It's not like her to be so…mysterious, so closed-off to her family. Emily's pretty worried."

He nodded. "So does this mean you'll be going up to see your family?"

I hesitated. The thought had crossed my mind, but how could I leave now? There was so much that needed doing.

He read the silence and smiled. "I thought so."

"I know I can't," I said.

He sat back in his wheelchair and thought for a moment, folding his hands. He gazed at the table grain. "Have you spoken to Jacob?"

"Not yet."

"But you're going to?"

"Of course."

"We can manage on our own for a few days, Ness."

I sighed and glanced at the table again, tracing the grain.

"Really, Ness. Don't worry about us. You should go. If you don't, they'll just come here, and…I don't think that's the best idea."

No argument there. I had only just shaken the social stigma of being the child of murderous vampires. I wasn't eager to have my family come in and test the bounds of the uneasy alliance. Relations had been strained enough when they'd lived in the area and kept to their own business.

In the past few years, it seemed like no matter where my family moved to, the tremors in our world sent out ripples from our family which gradually spread wider and farther, until it didn't matter how far we went. Somehow, at some point, the pack would be drawn in, and more than a few humans as well, to say nothing of other immortals. We were becoming too big and too dangerous for the human world we tried to protect.

Billy finished his tea and then sat back. "Well, I'm going to bed. Nine o'clock bedtimes are pretty much mandatory at my age."

I smiled. "You're fifty-seven. You're not that old."

"Tell my joints that."

I laughed. "Good night, Billy."

"Good night, Ness."

As I watched him wheel himself away, I was grateful yet again to have Billy for a father-in-law. I could talk to him about almost anything. I kept in touch with my own family as well, of course, (though even if I didn't, it wouldn't have made a difference; they'd bombard me with calls and visits either way), but none of my could be as honest with me as Billy.

I finished my tea and then cleaned up and curled up on the couch to read a book. I'd only gotten through a few pages when I felt my eyelids beginning to droop. I had just begun to doze, my subconscious inflicting more images of burning immortals on me, when I heard the door. I opened my eyes slowly and sat up.

Jacob smiled at me in his loving, uniquely Jacob way and made his way over to me. "Were you waiting up for me?"

"Not really," I admitted, chuckling. "I know by now that you're tough enough to tackle any vampire."

He smiled and held his hands out to me. I rose and took them, studying his dark eyes. "I want to talk to you about something," I murmured.

"Anything," he said.

I looked at our hands for a moment. "I think I should go up north for a few days to see my family. Something's…wrong. I'm not sure what it is yet. I don't know if what's happening with them is connected to everything else that's going on, but I feel like I should be there. It wouldn't be for long. I'd make sure that you and Billy had help, and I can ask–"

"Ness," Jacob said, smiling as he cupped my face in his warm hands. "Just go. You deserve a break, though it probably won't end up being much of one, since they're all…" He paused and sighed. "How to put this delicately…completely freaking insane."

"Fair enough," I said, chuckling.

"Besides, if you don't, they'll just come here, I don't think I can handle having all of them in our house, not again. At least not for a long time."

"Your dad said the exact same thing."

"I think we're still recovering from the last time. There's still a bald patch in the trees by the highway from the last time Emmett lost at family football."

I laughed at the memory. My uncle's latest tantrum had provided our firewood for five months.

"When will you go?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," I said. "The weekend, maybe."

"And you'll take the kids?"

I nodded. "Can you even imagine what my family would do if I showed up sans kids?"

"Please. You know they would blame me."

I had to concede his point. "Well, it'll also give you some time to work. I'll leave a bunch of food for you and Billy. No take out," I said, looking at him seriously and poking him in the chest for emphasis. "I mean it, Black. If I see so much as a plastic fork…"

"Please, Ness," he said grinning. "I would never let you _see_ the plastic fork. I'm way too smooth for that."

"Jacob."

"Fine." He studied me for a moment. "How long will you go for?"

"Not that long," I said. "Five days at the most."

He nodded, though I could see the hesitation in his eyes. Separation was bad enough, but I knew he'd also hate the idea of me heading straight into the eye of the storm, much less with our kids. But in reality, nowhere would be safe indefinitely. Nowhere was ever safe indefinitely, not in our world.

Finally, he sighed. "Never mind all of that. For now, we're here, we're safe, and that's all that matters," he said. He rubbed my arms and then kissed me.

I smiled when our lips parted and slid my arms around him, laying my face against his shoulder. _We're safe_, I repeated to myself.

* * *

I woke in middle of the night to the piercing howl of a wolf. My eyes flew open. I reached for Jacob, only to touch the warm, empty sheets. I sat up and saw him scrambling for his clothes. "What's going on?" I asked, my heart racing. I instinctively glanced towards the twins' bedroom.

"I don't know," he said as he quickly tied them to his ankle. "Jamie caught scent of a couple of vamps in the mountains. That's all I know so far."

I rose and quickly began to dress.

"Oh no you're not," Jacob said immediately.

"It could be someone I know, Jacob. And even if it's not, they'll respond better to me than they will to you," I said.

He grabbed my arms suddenly and turned me to face him. "Renesmee," he said. "Stay here. If you don't know them, and they slip past us and come into town, you're the only hope we've got. Think of my dad, and the kids, and everybody else here that won't be able to defend themselves."

As if on cue, Sammy's voice rang out through the darkness. "Mommy?" he said nervously.

I knew he was right, but I didn't have to like it. "Okay," I said, sighing. "But promise you'll call if I can help."

He nodded. "I will."

I kissed him and hugged his neck. "Be safe."

"I will." He kissed me again and then dove through the wide-open window. He was a wolf before he touched the ground.

I watched him go for a moment, and then was interrupted by the sound of Sammy crying. I exhaled and made my way to the twins' room. He was sitting up in his bed, his brown eyes filled with tears.

"Mommy," he sobbed.

I picked him up and held him close, rubbing his back. "Shh," I soothed, kissing his hair. "Everything's okay." I hoped direly that it was.

"Jacob? Ness?" Billy called from his room.

I stepped into the hallway, stroking Sammy's hair. "I'm here, Billy."

He opened his door and wheeled into the hall. "What's happening?"

"Vampires, in the mountains. Jake's gone to see what's going on."

His brow furrowed.

"I know," I murmured.

"I'll call Sue. Leah might have told her something."

I nodded and then looked back at Sammy as he sniffled again. I kissed his hair and rubbed his back. "Let's get you back to bed."

"No," he whined, gripping a handful of my sleeve and looking at me in alarm.

"Shh," I said, wiping his eyes. "You're safe, angel." I returning to their room to find that Hannah was awake now, too, and sitting up.

"Where's Daddy?" she asked.

Sammy lifted his head and looked at me curiously, waiting for me to answer.

I sat down on the edge of her bed and set Sammy in my lap. "Daddy's out protecting us, like he always does. He's making sure that no vampires that could hurt us are going to come near us or anyone in town."

"That's Daddy's job," Hannah said.

"That's right," I said.

"Mommy?" Sammy said.

I looked at him. "Yes?"

"If Daddy is protecting us, who's protecting Daddy?" Sammy asked, his brown eyes wide with worry.

I forced myself to keep my expression even. "You already know that, sweetheart. Your uncles and Aunt Leah and the other wolves are with him. They'll do their best to make sure nothing happens to him. But don't worry too much about that. Daddy's very good at what he does." I wasn't just saying it, either. I knew he was, but it didn't stop my heart from freezing in my chest for a second or two every time a wolf's cry pierced the air. What he did was high-risk, and no matter how well acquainted I made myself with that fact, I loved him like crazy, and that made blitheness darn near impossible.

I forced a small smile and looked at them again. I stroked Sammy's cheek and then kissed his forehead. "So let's try not to worry about him, okay? Time to sleep." I tucked him in again and then kissed them both before turning on one of the CDs that Mom and Aunt Rose had made of them singing lullabies and closed the door.

I made my way into the kitchen to find Billy sitting at the table, his brow furrowed as he held the phone at his ear.

"That's it?" he said. He nodded and then said, "Okay. Thanks, Sue. I'll call you in the morning." He hung up and set the phone on the table before looking at me. "All Leah knew was that there were at least three of them."

"Three?" I said, frowning. Most of the vampires in this area travelled as nomads, not in covens. Covens knew better than to come too near us. So did many of the nomads, for that matter.

"That's what she said."

I sighed. "What is going on?" I wondered aloud. I raked my fingers through my hair. "Okay, I'm going to go outside for a minute. If by some chance they get this far west, I want to see if I can intercede."

"Why didn't you go with him?"

"I wanted to, but you know him," I said, sighing. Since the twins had been born, he didn't like us going to these sorts of things together. Putting our eggs in the same basket, he called it. He didn't like to take the chance that we could both be killed and leave our children orphans.

"Right," he said, nodding. "Okay. Just be careful."

"Of course." I made my way outside and locked the door behind me. It was useless, of course, bordering on ludicrously inane. If a vampire wanted to get into the house, there was no door that humans could make that was going to keep them out, but at least it made me feel better.

I jogged along the road, listening as far into the distance as I could. I could hear the highway to the north, and the river to the south. Everything sounded normal – people snoring, owls hooting, animals shuffling through the forest. I could hear one or two of the wolves running east towards Forks and beyond to the mountains.

My phone rang suddenly. I pulled it out of my pocket quickly and was relieved to see Jacob's name on the call display. "Jake. What is it?"

"Ness, can you come meet us?"

"Of course," I said, immediately breaking into a run. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, but…Renesmee, something is _seriously _screwed up."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Jacob, what are you saying?" I frowned, running faster.

"I don't even know. Just hurry." He ended the call.

I returned my phone to my pocket and tore through the woods. It didn't take me long to find them. The scent trail was unmistakable. Unfortunately, none of the four immortal scents were familiar to me.

The wolves had encircled the four vampires. Jacob stood outside of the circle in human form. He looked at me as I approached, as did the others. He made his way over to me. "This is freaking insane, but I'll let them explain it to you themselves."

I frowned. Jacob wasn't new to the world of immortals and their disputes. The amazement and hint of doubt – or perhaps fear – in the depths of his eyes was unsettling. But when he turned towards the pack and the vampires again, he quickly shrouded his expression in emotionlessness and his eyes became unreadable.

I looked at the vampires. "Hello," I said. There were three males and a female, each with the immortals' trademark pale skin and the vibrant red eyes of human blood drinkers. Two of the males were quite tall with fair hair, while the other was shorter with tousled brown curls framing his livid face. I paused on him for a moment. He wasn't looking at the wolves with such fury, but straight at me, and his fury seemed to increase the longer I looked at him. I shifted my gaze to the willowy brunette at his side. Her skin had a faint olive tone, and her features suggested southern European heritage. Until I knew more, I decided to play on the diplomatic side of things. "I'm Renesmee Black," I said. "You've already met my husband and his pack. May I ask who you are?"

"You see fit to hunt us down like these mangy _dogs_, and yet you've no idea who we are," snarled the curly-haired male in an eastern European accent.

"Excuse me?" I said, frowning.

"I am Dante," said one of the tall blonde men. "This is Henrik, and that is Abdul and Hadassah," he said, gesturing first to the other blonde male and then to the angry one and the woman beside him.

"Nice to meet you," I said. "Is there anything we can do for you before we ask you to turn around and head back to wherever you've come from?"

"There is," Dante said, lifting his chin slightly and gazing at me disdainfully. "We are here for vengeance."

"Against whom?"

"You."

I blinked in shock. "Come again?"

"Your family has become drunk with power. If you supposed that your crimes would go unanswered, you were sorely mistaken."

"Crimes?" I said, my frown deepening. "I don't understand. What is it that you think we've done?"

"Do not insult us with this performance," snarled Abdul. "You know perfectly well–"

"Abdul," Henrik snapped.

He fell silent, but continued to glower.

"You killed three of our own," Dante said coolly.

Henrik smirked slightly. "You were crafty, that I will grant you. Ingenious, really, using puppets to do your dirty work. It took us all these weeks to trace the disappearances and outright murders to your coven."

"And you _will_ answer for it," Dante said, his voice grave.

"_What_?" I said, growing ever more confused. "I'm sorry, I really don't know what you're talking about."

"You see?" Abdul said suddenly, looking at Dante. "I told you that they would feign innocence."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said. "Has my family done something?"

"Your _family_ has endeavoured to terrorize us; hunting us down, ravaging our covens, and we will not stand for it," Hadassah said. "We know they are here. So call of your dogs before we destroy them, too. Let this be between us."

I looked at them in surprise. "Ravaging? What? Why would we attack you?"

"You know well who we are," Henrik said. "We supported the Volturi when they first stood against you here several years ago. They had warned us of your treachery, and now we have seen it realised. You suppose that you may simply kill those who will not bow before you, but you are wrong."

I stood there in stunned silence. This must have been what Rebecca was talking about, why she was afraid to have any of us near her and Ajay. I was paralysed with shock, too shocked to get much beyond that in my thinking. Questions ran in unending stream through my head as my mind raced in time with my heart.

"I'm sorry. I no longer live with my family. I'm not party to their decisions or their actions. I had no notion of this. Let me contact them and I'll see what I can do."

"We don't want _you_ to do anything," Abdul said. "We will take care of it ourselves."

"I can't let you do that," I said. "And if you attempt to travel any further west, you do so at your own risk," I said, glancing at Jacob.

He stared evenly at the intruders, his stance exuding authority. I felt a little swell of pride. "These are our lands," he said. "And we protect them from your kind."

Abdul snorted. "Apparently you aren't doing a very good job," he sneered, gesturing to me.

"She's on our side. As I said before, you can leave, or we'll have no choice but to kill you."

"So, you have included these animals in your scheme," Abdul hissed. "How disgusting. How desperate."

They all exchanged glances for a few seconds, and then Dante spoke again, his eyes filled with anger. "We will go. And we will spread word of this treachery. This is only the beginning. You may count on that. Tell your family that this is far from over."

"I promise you, when we are finished, you will rue the day you dared to threaten us," Abdul said. "You do not realise what you have begun."

I said nothing as I watched them return eastward. No one made a sound as we watched them go.

"Embry, Leah, Quil, take your groups and fan out. Make sure they stay gone," Jacob said once they were beyond earshot.

I watched as the wolves split off into three groups and then disappeared into the night. I sat down slowly, pressing my hand to my mouth.

Jacob knelt beside me. "Hon? Are you okay?"

I could barely even think straight. It was too much. There was obviously a mistake. There was no way my family would have done anything like this. Grandpa Carlisle didn't even want power. Why on earth would he provoke an open war with the Volturi and their supporters? He wouldn't risk our family, not for something as stupid as revenge against those that had opposed us.

I slowly looked at him. "I have to call them. I have to call them now."

"Okay," he said, nodding.

"If those vampires figure out where they are now, it'll be an ambush." I stood quickly. "I don't understand," I said, beginning to pace. "Why would they do this? It doesn't make any sense. We've always done everything we could to avoid this sort of thing. Why would they do this?"

"I don't know. I don't get it either. But we need to figure out what's going on, and now. If there are more people that they've done this to, and they think your family's still here, more vampires will come."

My heart faltered. I felt sick with fear and confusion. My first instinct was to get the kids out of La Push, but where could we send them, then? Clearly they wouldn't be any safer with my family, and the chances of them being safe with our allies seemed slimmer still. If my family was being targeted, what would stop them from also targeting our allies?

"Jacob, what are we going to do?" I whispered, turning to face him, my eyes wide.

"We're going to start with calling them, just like you said." He cupped my face in his huge, warm hands. "Just breathe, honey."

I took a deep, shuddering breath and then nodded. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called my parents' house. It had barely rung once before I heard my aunt's voice on the other end of the line. "Hey, Nessie!" Aunt Rose said warmly.

"Aunt Rose, where's Grandpa Carlisle?"

She hesitated, clearly taken aback. "Is everything okay?"

"That's what I want to know."

"O-Okay. Just a moment."

After a few seconds, Grandpa Carlisle's voice came on. "Nessie? Is everything alright?"

"No, it's not." I explained what had happened as best I could and then fell silent as I waited for him to explain it to me, to make it all make sense. It couldn't be true.

He was silent for a few seconds. "When was this?"

"Just now." I took a breath and closed my eyes, massaging my temples. "Grandpa, I know this isn't true."

"It isn't. I'm afraid I'm as perplexed as you are."

I exhaled, strangely comforted by his confusion. It was counter-intuitive, but if he was confused, then at least something in the world still made sense. I knew my family couldn't have been responsible for such barbarity. But now the question of who was remained to be determined.

"Alice hasn't seen anything, but she hasn't been watching Forks. Have you called the Winters yet?"

"No."

"I'll add them to the call." There was a dial tone, and then Rob came on. "Hello?" he said.

"Rob, it's Carlisle. Renesmee is also on the line."

"Oh. Hello. How are you both?"

Neither Grandpa Carlisle nor I made a reply.

"I see," he said. "What's the matter?"

I explained what had happened again and then waited for someone to speak.

Rob was silent for a few seconds. "So…these disappearances, these burnings…they think we're behind it?"

"They were sure," I said.

"That's absurd," Rob said.

"And they didn't say how?" Grandpa Carlisle said.

"No. They just said that they knew we had used puppets."

"Puppets?" Rob said. I could almost hear his frown. "Did they mention any names?"

"I've told you all that I know, Rob," I said, growing increasingly frustrated. I wanted someone to answer my questions, not ask me ones I already had myself.

"What do we do?" Grandpa Carlisle asked.

"I think it's time we're all under the same roof again."

"Agreed," Grandpa Carlisle said. "It's too long. I only wish it was under happier circumstances."

"I recommend that you come here to us in Prince Rupert," Rob said. "It's remote; not many people know we're here, and our friends here will give us advanced warning if someone tries to move against us."

"Alright. I'll speak to the others and call you back. Nessie?"

"What?"

"Can we expect you and Jacob?"

I glanced at him. "I'm not sure. Things are pretty tense around here."

"I'm sure. I would feel better if you could make it, though. I know your parents will feel the same way."

"I'll talk to Jacob."

"Good," Rob said. "Have you spoken to Ajay and Rebecca since you last spoke to Em?"

"No."

"You don't suppose whoever is attempting to hunt us down would also go after them, do you?" Carlisle said.

"I would hope not. They have enough to worry about with Will and the Volturi."

"Why would the Volturi bother with Ajay and Rebecca?" I asked, frowning. Will, I could understand. But the Volturi as a whole? "They haven't done anything. They've never caused any trouble. If anything, they've helped them."

"Yes, but there are bigger fish to fry now," Grandpa Carlisle pointed out. "And we are the fish. Aro isn't particularly known for his gratitude."

Somehow, that didn't surprise me.

"Rebecca's brother is one of them now. If they're looking for a way to reach us, he'll no doubt recommend that they start with her and Ajay," Rob said grimly. "He exacts a grudge, gains favour with the boss and sends a message to us, all in a single stroke."

I shuddered. There was something disturbingly William-esque about that cold, clinical logic. But then, Will was only living son, so what could we really expect?

"This must be why they've been distancing themselves from us," Rob said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"If everyone thinks we're attacking Volturi sympathisers, we'll draw Aro's attention, and they can't afford to be drawn in with us, especially not with Will already looking for them."

"Yes, I think you're right," Grandpa Carlisle said. "And so it follows that we ought to assume that our every move is being watched."

"Indeed," Rob agreed. "We should discuss this further once you arrive."

I rubbed my forehead and began to pace, my frustration increasing. Why were they so freaking calm about this? "Is nobody just the least bit curious as to who would do this?"

There was silence for a few seconds.

"Rob?" I said.

"Yes?"

"Do you think it could be one of your revolutionary friends?"

"I seriously doubt it. I spelled our position out to them in no uncertain terms. But heaven, hell or whoever it is that's responsible for our kind help them if it is one of them."

"If it does turn out to be one of them, what will you do?" I asked.

"I'll cross that bridge if I come to it."

I glanced at Jacob again, who was watching me. "I should go. There's a lot here that needs doing."

"Understood. Please call as soon as you and Jacob have reached a decision," Grandpa Carlisle said. "Give him and the children my love, and stay safe."

"I will."

"Goodbye, Nessie," Rob said. "All the best."

I hung up and slid my phone back into my pocket. I stood there for a few seconds, mulling the conversation over. "They don't really know any more than we do."

He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "So what do we do now?"

"Everyone's meeting in Prince Rupert. They want us to come."

"I can't go," he said immediately. "Not after this, not when there could be more of them coming. I need to be here."

"I know," I said. Part of me was burdened with guilt at the idea of leaving Jacob on his own at a time like this. I didn't see how I could stay, but nor would I feel good about going. With the new developments, there'd be a lot of damage control to do here. I could just imagine how stricken Rona would be. She wasn't only Luke's mother, but she was also Leah's aunt. She'd seen what vampire warfare could do as clearly as she'd seen her nephew's empty coffin being lowered into the ground, and I'd also seen what it could do to her. "I don't have to go."

"It's necessary," he said. He tried valiantly to disguise the uneasiness in his eyes, but I could still read it like a flashing neon sign.

"It doesn't have to be."

"Yes, I believe it does."

"Jacob, it's your brothers. It's _you_. Just for a minute, stop thinking like the Jacob who gives everything for the people he loves and just think like the chief that's responsible for these people. Is this really what you want?"

"Ness, you can't ask me to separate those people," he said, taking a step towards me. "They're both me. I'm not just your husband, and I'm not just their chief. I'm both, and I'm doing the best that I can. I'm not unaware of what I'm doing. I'm not unaware of the risks. I take all of this into consideration before I make my decisions. Seriously, turn off your inner Edward for a minute."

I smiled against my will.

"There's nothing we can do until we know more. But we'll get through this, okay? We always do."

I nodded and exhaled. Some of the tension eased out of my muscles. "Okay."

"For now, let's get home. I'm sure the kids are worried."

I suddenly had an urge to hold them. At least when they were in my arms or Jacob's, I knew that nothing could hurt them. "Let's go," I said.

He phased, no doubt to relate the conversation to the others, and we ran back to the house together. He phased back into human form outside the window and then climbed in first. I chuckled. "You know, we _are_ the grown-ups now. We could use the door."

He grinned. "Habit."

I chuckled and climbed in after him.

"I'm going to go see the twins," he said.

"Whoa, whoa," I said.

He paused. "What?"

"Does something seem to be missing from this picture?"

He glanced around. "What?"

"Look closely."

He looked again, more slowly this time, and then looked at me in confusion.

"Closer."

"Ness, what're you getting at?"

"Clothes, Jacob. Clothes."

He glanced at himself. "Oh. Yeah, I guess that'd be a good idea."

"I mean, I have no problem with this view, but I'm not keen to send our two-year-olds to therapy."

"Alright, alright, hardy-har."

I chuckled. "I'll go see if they're still up."

* * *

The pack wasted no time in showing up the following morning. The newer members were buzzing with nervous excitement as everyone congregated in the kitchen and living room. Unfortunately, the nearly palpable frenetic energy seemed to be increasing their appetites accordingly, and I finally had to send Matthew out to get a box of muffins to keep up with the demand.

Nevertheless, I could understand. Even I could feel that something was looming just ahead, as though we stood on the verge of something momentous. Unlike the newbies, however, I had come to deeply hate that feeling. It tended to be accompanied by terrible danger and death. Thus far, I'd never lost a family member. Four major encounters my family had faced now – two of them even before I was born. Call it statistics and probability, luck, or fate, there was no way we would remain unscathed indefinitely. Our odds of surviving a fifth confrontation were not good, and the thought made me sick.

The more they buzzed about it, as though it was something trivial, the tenser I felt myself becoming. This wasn't a game, and it wasn't a joke. I knew most of it was the pack trying to compartmentalise, blow off steam. I tried to remind myself of that, but it was my family on the line more than any of theirs.

"So, Carlisle and Angry are teaming up?" Jared said.

"Angry?" asked Raphaela, or Raffy, as she insisted on being called. As one of the newest additions to the pack's numbers, she'd never met my adopted family.

"Rob Stanton," Jacob said as he sat at the table, feeding Sammy. Rachel had taken Hannah with her and Paula to buy some new clothes for them. "He's the leader of the Winter coven, Nessie's adopted family."

"And obviously we never call him that to his face," Quil said. "Because he'd, you know, get angry."

"So what're we going to do?" Collin asked.

"We'll support them in any way we can," Jacob said.

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

"Even if that means going north?" Luke asked quietly.

"Even then."

"Why do we care about what they're doing?" Michael asked.

"Because they're Nessie's family, and Nessie's part of our family. Besides, they come in useful sometimes when we work together to kill other vampires," Quil said. "They're a powerful family. They've done a lot for us."

"Sure have," Michael muttered. "Like getting my cousin killed in a family feud."

I felt a stab of pain comingled with grief as I remembered Seth. He had been the first to follow Jacob after he'd left Sam's pack. He'd also been the first to befriend my family. He'd had a heart of pure gold, and he was a talented and valuable fighter, but it hadn't saved him in the end. He was one of the many casualties at Nahanni Butte.

My brother-in-law Paul's face came to mind next, then Sam's, then Jude's, Brady's and Dan's. As my heart grew heavier, my anger and tension grew. I turned and began to wash the dishes with feverish energy. That could not happen again. It _would not_. Not on my watch. Not if I had anything to say about it. I was still trying to help mend the damage inflicted on the community left in the wake of the carnage in northern Canada. Sam hadn't just been an Alpha; he'd been a husband to Emily, a father to three kids, a friend to many of the youth and a highly respected and important member of the tribal council. Jude had been a tutor. Brady was all his mom had had left in the world. Dan had been a talented guitar player. He'd even been in a garage band before he joined the pack. None of them could ever be replaced. They had been reduced to gaping holes in people's hearts, empty chairs and rooms, memories, gaps that could never be filled by anyone else. I knew rationally that their deaths weren't my fault. I knew that it was William's malevolence that had killed them, not me. But would they have been there in the first had it not been for me? That was the question I could not answer.

Tanner sighed and sat back in the armchair. "I don't see why we have to work with vamps."

"Do you have any idea how much harder it was to do what we do before we teamed up with them?" Embry said. "No. You don't. Of course you don't. Most of you don't. So ease up on the vampire hating, will you?"

"Embry's right," Jacob said. "They understand this world. They know more about what's coming than we do. But yes, Jared, Carlisle and Rob are teaming up."

"But why do we _care_?" asked Naomi.

"Yeah," Matthew said. "I'm actually with Naomi on this. Why do we care which vamps are after other vamps?"

"Because like it or not, we're connected to them. What happens to them affects us," Quil said exasperatedly. "We've been over this before. What is this, fifty fricking questions? Gees. If Jake says that's what we're doing, that's what we're doing, alright?"

"What, they can't ask questions?" Leah demanded. "We have a right to know why we're sticking our necks out and the necks of our families. I say you make your bed and then you lie in it. If they're in trouble, they made the trouble for themselves."

I pursed my lips as I felt my ire slowly rising.

"We are protecting them because we protect those who can't protect themselves, Leah," Jacob snapped. "We protect those who are hunted unfairly. And they can't protect themselves from the entire Guard. They haven't done anything wrong."

"Our job is to protect humans. They're vampires. There's no such thing as a vampire that hasn't done anything wrong."

I decided to remain tactful and ignored the dig.

"And besides, why aren't they asking their own people for help?" she asked.

"Because they don't know who's on their side right now."

"Oh, so better our necks than theirs is what you're saying."

"This is how an alliance works, Leah."

"Then why are we always running up there to help them? We face threats and intrusions all the time. Do they come running to help us?"

"Are you saying that we need their help?" Jacob asked.

"No, but it's mighty convenient that they just get to flip a switch and drag us down with them every time they get in a cat fight with other leeches, especially when they give absolutely _nothing_ to us in return."

"This is more than some trivial little squabble. This is just the beginning. Can you really not see that? What's to stop the Volturi from picking off anyone they want for whatever reason they want once they've started, immortal or human? At the moment, the Volturi won't go near us. They know what we're capable of. They've seen it. We might be the best chance there is to keep this thing peaceful for as long as possible."

"Darn straight," Embry put in.

"Someone has to stand up to them," Jacob continued. "They'll just grow more powerful on our fear and inaction if we don't."

"I am not afraid of them," Leah said coolly.

"Good. So you're onboard, then."

"How does not fearing them translate into helping out other leeches?"

"Right now, it doesn't translate into much of anything. We're keeping an eye out, that's all. It's our way of saying no. Sooner or later, the Volturi and their allies will turn to us and they'll try to wipe us out. They don't just affect the vampire world, they also affect our world."

"Oh _please_. This is not about the future; this is about you. Well this pack is not just some tool for you to use to score brownie points with the in-laws," Leah spat. "If you want us to risk everything for a couple of _blood suckers_, we should at least get some say in the matter."

"_Damn it, Leah_," Jacob shouted, slamming his fist on the table. Everyone jumped, including me. Sammy looked at him in shock. "I'm not going to go over this with you again. What happens to them impacts us. You should know that better than anyone."

"You're right. I do know. Because I've seen my brother's blood spilt on the snow thousands of miles from home in a foreign country for some vampire cause. That may not have meant anything to you–"

"_It meant everything to me_!" he roared at her, setting Sammy on the table and shooting to his feet. "_Don't you dare accuse me of having let them died in vain! Seth and Sam and all the rest of them are why we are in this! Or are you actually stupid enough to think that we're safe as long as we do nothing_?!"

"We need more than just your crystal ball to go on, Jacob!"

"_If you weren't so self-absorbed, maybe you would be able to see things a little more clearly_!"

"And maybe if you weren't wrapped around her finger, _you'd_ see things clearly!" she shouted back, pointing at me. "You couldn't care less about us!"

That stung. I felt blood rush to my face, partially from humiliation and partially from anger.

There were several long seconds of silence as they glowered at each other. Sammy began to cry.

I closed my eyes for a moment and then made my way over to Jacob's side of the table and picked my son up, rubbing his back. "Shh," I said, my throat becoming thick as I fought back tears. I kissed his hair and cradled him close as I left the house quickly.

"Ness–" Quil began to say as I closed the door behind me.

I walked down the wheelchair ramp and across the yard to Jacob's garage where he fixed the locals' bikes, dirt bikes, motorcycles, cars, trucks, appliances and assorted machinery part-time to supplement our income from Billy's pension. My family, of course, had boat loads of money, all of which was available to us, but Jacob was determined to support us himself. It was a tighter budget than I was used to – okay, a _lot_ tighter, basically a corset combined with a straight-jacket – but I knew how important it was to him.

I sat down on the old futon against the wall. Jacob sometimes slept out here after we'd had a fight. Today, I felt like the one in the dog house. I cradled my son close, focusing on soothing him even as tears streamed down my face. I had known that this would be hard from the start. I'd known what I was getting into. But I'd thought Leah was beginning to turn around. I thought she was beginning to forgive me, maybe even to like me. Goodness knew I'd tried to be kind to her. I tried not to care about her liking me, but I did. I wanted his friends and his pack to like me. I wanted to belong with them. I'd felt at times that I understood them better than my own family, but she seemed determined to segregate me at every turn.

"It's okay, sweetheart," I said, laying my cheek against the top of his head. "Everything's okay."

"Why was Daddy so angry?" he asked between hiccups.

"He and Leah had a disagreement. He wasn't angry at you, Sammy, I promise you. Everyone has a lot on their minds right now. But everything will be okay."

He sniffled and then slowly relaxed.

After a while, I laid down on the futon, still holding Sammy. He dozed off a few moments later. I studied his tiny, perfect face. I could tell he hadn't slept well. I'd seen it in Hannah's face as well when I'd woken them this morning. It wasn't fair, this stress our world was putting them under. I hated that this was stealing their peace, their light-heartedness, their innocence. Children weren't meant to carry the weight of their parents. Parents were supposed to wait up at night for their children, not children for their parents.

_Probably just something else I'm failing at_, I thought, and then stopped myself. Bleakness had never solved anything, and they deserved better than a moping mother.

I hadn't even realised I'd dozed off until I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes slowly to see Jacob kneeling beside the futon. He offered me a small smile. "Hey," he said gently.

"Hey," I said, rubbing my eyes. I glanced down at Sammy, who was still fast asleep. "How long have we been out here?"

"A couple of hours," he said. "Everyone's been gone for a while. Leah left just after you did. She apologised."

I nodded, lowering my eyes.

"I'm so sorry, honey," he said softly.

"It's not your fault," I said quietly.

He looked at Sammy. "How's he?"

"Honestly? Upset. But he was tired, too, so that didn't help." I looked at Sammy and stroked his hair. "I need to go to Prince Rupert, to my family," I murmured. "I need to know what's going on, and they need to know where the pack stands. They need to take La Push into consideration, and it won't happen if I don't go. Leah was right about that much."

He nodded. "Okay. Are you going to take the kids?"

"I think it would be best." I hesitated and studied his face. "It's just that—"

"No, you're right," he said. "I'll have to be with the pack a lot from now on, and it's too much to ask of my dad."

I nodded and then pursed my lips. "I know it still leaves you with a lot on your plate."

"I'm not worried about your plate."

"I know. That's why I have to."

"Really, don't worry about me, Ness. Just do what you have to, and come back when you can."

We fell silent for a moment. I glanced out the open door at the warm summer afternoon. The song of the cicadas broke the still, hot air. Sammy shifted in my arms, sighing in his sleep. It could almost have passed for a normal July afternoon. For a moment, I imagined it was.

_No_, I told myself. _This is what it is. There's no point pretending._

"When are you planning to go?" he asked me after a while.

I thought for a moment. "Tomorrow night, I suppose. That way they can sleep most of the way." I looked at Sammy again. "And I want them to have at least today to just play and be normal. Who knows when they'll get that chance again?" I sighed quietly and sat up. "I should get going. There's a lot I need to do before I can leave." I picked Sammy up carefully and began to rise.

"Hold on, hold on," he said, touching my knee. "Ness, I can take care of stuff around the house. I can even go over to Rona's for you."

"No, you can't," I said. "Look at all this stuff," I said, gesturing to the three bikes, motorcycle, car and washing machine that were awaiting his healing touch. "You've got your own stuff to do." _And I'm not going to give Leah an excuse to criticise you, or me_, I added mentally. Though frankly, at the moment, I wanted nothing more than to tear up the list of things I had to do. It all seemed overwhelming. I felt drained after last night and this morning. "I'm not made of glass, Jake. She hurt me, but I'm not shattered. I _can_ still do the things I need to, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay." He glanced around. "Well, I'll probably be here for the rest of the day."

"Okay." I glanced at the clock mounted on the wall. "Are you hungry?"

"No, not yet," he said.

"I'll make the kids' lunch and leave something for you in the fridge."

"You're turning into that mom, you know."

"Hmm?"

"That mom that cooks whenever she's upset."

"I'm not upset."

He gave me a look.

"Okay, but that's not why I'm cooking."

He tilted his head, his look intensifying.

"Totally not."

"I think it is."

I slowly smiled. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Are we really doing this?" I said, chuckling.

"It worked, didn't it?" he said, teasing my upturned lips.

My smile slowly widened. Typical Jacob. "Thanks." I leaned over to kiss him.

Sammy began to stir then. "Mommy," he murmured drowsily.

I looked down at him and smiled.

Jacob glanced at him. "Do you want to hang out with me today, Sams – oh, no, sorry, I forgot. Mom is still here," he whispered conspiratorially, shooting me a charming grin.

I rolled my eyes. "I am not relenting on the name, Jacob Black. You can forget about it right now."

"Forgotten," he said, holding his hand up. "Scout's honour."

I gave him a look and then looked at Sammy again. I kissed his hair and then passed him to Jacob. "Can you keep Daddy company?"

"Okay," he said, smiling. "Can I use the noisy tools, Daddy?"

"Of course you c —" He began to say and then looked at me. "Um…"

I chuckled and looked at Sammy. "Just remember not to touch anything unless Daddy tells you that you can, okay?" It wasn't like anything could do him serious harm, but I didn't want to take any chances. Testing the limits of his ability to regenerate was not a heart attack I particularly needed.

He nodded.

"Good." I glanced at Jacob and kissed him again before returning to the house, already feeling lighter in defiance of the swollen, ash-coloured clouds advancing towards us on the easterly wind.


End file.
